When is next Mega Millions drawing: Huge prize on the line Friday

WASHINGTON — A nearly $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot will be up for grabs Friday night, offering the prospect of instant riches for a lucky player after more than three months without a big winner.

The numbers will be drawn at 11 p.m. EDT for the estimated $977 million Mega Millions prize. The jackpot ranks as the 10th largest in U.S. lottery history.

No one has won the game's jackpot since Dec. 8, a string of 29 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all of the game's six numbers. That has enabled the jackpot to slowly grow, week after week.

The $977 million prize is for a sole winner who chooses to be paid through an annuity over 30 years. Winners almost always opt for a cash payment, which for Friday's drawing would be an estimated $461 million.

The other U.S. lottery game, Powerball, also has grown to be nearly as large, with an annuity jackpot of $750 million and a cash payout of $357.3 million. The next Powerball drawing is scheduled to take place Saturday night.

Can you buy Mega Millions tickets online?

Whether or not you're able to buy a Mega Millions ticket online depends on your location.

Currently, the lotteries in just nine states and the District of Columbia offer ways to purchase Mega Millions tickets online or through their lottery's mobile app. Those states include: Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The New York Lottery also allows residents to buy subscriptions for Mega Millions online. 

If you don't live in one of those states, there might still be other options for you.

Courier services, like Lotto.com and Jackpocket, act as a middle man. Players order lottery tickets via a mobile app or website, then those companies go and buy the ticket on the player's behalf from a licensed retailer in their state, upload an image of it on the app and securely store the physical ticket. 

Jackpocket is currently available in  Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.

Lotto.com operates in Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Ohio and Oregon.